Rent control as asset‑sweep

Rent‑control regimes can be used intentionally or functionally to depress the market value of multifamily buildings, precipitating fire‑sale transfers (to public entities, private equity or foreign buyers) and concentrating ownership while simultaneously shrinking effective supply as units are taken offline for non‑economic reasons. — If true, this turns a familiar tenant‑protection policy into a strategic tool that reshapes municipal balance sheets, private capital flows, and long‑run housing availability—requiring scrutiny from housing policy, finance regulators, and election analysts.